UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (UPI) -- Without high-level talks to address ongoing tensions in Madagascar, the country's stability may be under threat, according to the head of the United Nations.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for leaders in Madagascar -- including President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, former mayor of the Madagascar capital of Antananarivo -- to open a dialogue to ease tensions, the United Nations reported.
The United Nations estimated that almost 100 people have been killed and hundreds more injured since January during ongoing violence in Antananarivo over widening political divisions and other disputes.
Ban "reiterates that the only solution to the current crisis is the resumption of dialogue and calls on both parties to fulfill their commitment to resolve their differences within the framework of an inclusive national conference," according to a statement issued by a spokesperson.
